


The Customer Is Always Right

by JohnAmendAll



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Kaldor City
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 04:32:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7670176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnAmendAll/pseuds/JohnAmendAll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toos takes Leela shopping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Customer Is Always Right

**Author's Note:**

> From a 'Domestic pairings' meme; prompt was "Leela / Lish Toos - grocery shopping"

Ludmilla Ivanova had been checking up on a delayed fruit order, but looked up at the sound of the door. A young woman, a stranger to Ludmilla, was standing uncertainly on the threshold of her emporium. With her unstyled hair, crudely-stitched tunic and tanned skin, the newcomer might have been a member of the underclass, who had somehow managed to wander all the way from the Pits to the Palatine district without noticing. But a second glance told her that the girl's tunic was leather; and nobody but the richest could have afforded to import that. 

Then a second figure appeared in the doorway, and Ludmilla relaxed. Lish Toos was one of her regular customers; she had her eccentricities, of course, but they were far outweighed by her wealth. And from their body language, it was obvious that this girl was Toos's newest eccentricity. 

"Good afternoon, Ludmilla," Toos said politely, ushering her protegée into the store. "Just picking up a few essentials." 

"Go right ahead." To nearly all the population of Kaldor, 'essential' would have been the last word to describe Ludmilla's stock. Ludmilla liked to think she dealt in the genuine and the recherché; for a clientele unsatisfied by the Company's offerings, and wealthy enough to afford her prices. As Toos and her companion wandered down the aisle, Ludmilla turned back to her terminal. 

"From what beast does this come?" the girl asked. 

Ludmilla hurried across to where they stood; the girl was prodding at a stasis-shielded joint of meat. 

"That's genuine venison, ma'am," she said. "Imported from New Albion." 

"Why is it in a plastic tube?" The girl made as if to reach for something at her belt, but stopped herself. "I cannot tell if it has begun to rot." 

"It'll be fresh," Toos said, with an apologetic glance at Ludmilla. "There are strict laws about that sort of thing." 

"Were there not strict laws that the metal men do not attack humans?" 

"Leela!" Toos looked torn between embarassment and anger. "There's no call to compare Ms Ivanova with the likes of Taran Capel." She looked at the joint in Leela's hand. "And that's far too big. It would take us days to eat." 

"In my tribe, if you have food for days it is considered good," Leela answered, sounding puzzled. "Why do you say we should not?" 

"I didn't mean that. Yes, we ought to have a good supply, but that doesn't mean we have to get it all from one joint." Toos picked up another sealed package. "Wild boar. Now that's far more manageable. Hold that, will you?" 

"Did you bring me just to carry what you gather?" Leela said. 

"Of course not." Toos gave her a bright smile. "Let me know if you see anything you want. Just... make sure it's something we can use." She turned back to Ludmilla. "Talking of which, have you got any bananas at the moment?" 

Ludmilla had been hoping Toos wouldn't ask that. "Only vat-grown, I'm afraid," she mumbled. "The shipment's overdue." 

"Don't worry. Vat-grown will be quite adequate." 

Leela gave Toos a suspicious look. "What use do you plan to put these bananas to?" 

"I want that to be a surprise," Toos said, with a wink.


End file.
